


Misadventures of the Spiritually Inclined

by cherrypitted



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, 幽☆遊☆白書 | YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2015-04-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 21:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3665304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrypitted/pseuds/cherrypitted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Koenma would never admit it (out loud), but Yuusuke was the best detective he'd ever had - especially compared to his replacement(s). YYHXSM</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ramen i

**Author's Note:**

> just a series of shorts dealing with yuusuke, his ramen stand and the senshi. maybe there’ll be a plot later, maybe not. standard disclaimers apply. enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a series of shorts dealing with yuusuke, his ramen stand and the senshi. maybe there’ll be a plot later, maybe not. standard disclaimers apply. cross-posted at ffnet. enjoy!

“Hey, buddy!”

Yuusuke glanced up from the magazine he had been flipping through (only because there was an interview in it somewhere with Jin and Toya, and not because Ruka graced the cover, of course not). A blonde girl with a big red bow on her head stood at the counter, a glare on her face as she placed her hands on her hips. “Uh, yeah?”

“This the undercover spirit business?” She reached out and rapped her knuckles on the table. Yuusuke put away the magazine, trying to decide whether or not the girl was being rude. Well, a customer was a customer...

“Yeah, you need something, lady?”

“Yeah.” The blonde splayed her fingers out as she leaned forward, slapping the counter this time. Yuusuke stared. “You need to shut that shit _down_.”

“What the hell?” While he had been curious earlier, now he was just annoyed. He turned his back onto her, flipping on the television. “Get out of here before I get angry.”

“I’m just warning you!” the blonde said. Yuusuke glanced over his shoulder to see that she was practically all over the counter. “See, I got a girl who’s in the business too, so you need to pack up your things and get on out—”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Yuusuke said. He rolled up the magazine and started swatting at her. “Get off my counter, you batshit crazy—”

“—and no matter how much you pout your juicy little lips and blink those pretty brown eyes at me, I won’t be afraid to put my foot down and kick your ass outta town!”

Yuusuke _stared_. “The _hell_ did you just say to me?”

“You heard me.” The girl stood back, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Okay, first of all, if your friend was really that good, she shouldn’t be having problems with business,” Yuusuke said. “Second, you’re the craziest—”

“Ugh, there you are.”

Both Yuusuke and the blonde girl turned as the cover to the ramen stand rustled. A girl with dark hair and the oddest eyes stepped in, glancing around calmly. “Ramen again, Minako? You’re going to die of a heart attack.”

“Am not!” Blondie—Minako—protested. “Ami said my heart was doing fine, thank you very much. And how dare you accuse me of scrounging for food when I’m here to defend your honor?”

So this was the other girl? She didn’t seem like she was that special. Then again, he wasn’t exactly the spokesperson for Reikai either... Yuusuke gave her a look-over as she raised her eyebrows at her friend. Well, she was hot, at least. “Defending my honor?”

“Hey, the Goddess of Love has _always_ got your back, Rei-chan.” Blondie winked. Rei-chan rolled her eyes gloriously. Yuusuke assumed she did that often. “Anyway, this guy said he’d back off, so we’re all good to go.”

“Alright, lady, I don’t care, I’m about to kick your ass,” Yuusuke retorted once he caught her words. He gave her the ugliest look she could manage; she recoiled, eyes wide, clutching Rei’s arm. Rei, however, yanked her arm away.

“You’re kidding. After I already told you I don’t have time for your stupid detective thing—”

“But Rei-chan,” Minako whined. Rei cut her off abruptly.

“If you’re so interested, why don’t you do it yourself?”

Minako’s lower lip wobbled. “Because I thought it was something we could do _together_...”

“Mina—”

“Besides, I can’t even see the damn things,” Minako quipped with a scowl on her face. “It’s so _unfair_ , why do black-haired people get all the fun?”

Rei rolled her eyes again. She glanced at Yuusuke, who was staring at them with the utmost expression of bewilderment. “I apologize for my friend, if she’s said anything stupid to you.”

“Uh,” Yuusuke said, blinking. This wasn’t at all what he’d expected. “Yeah, whatever. Just don’t do it again.”

Rei looked like she wanted to say something. Instead she looked back at Minako disdainfully. “You are so embarrassing.”

“Just the way you like it,” Minako said, flipping her emotions in a complete 180. Yuusuke wondered if that was healthy. “Anyway, Urameshi, right? I hope this doesn’t mean we have bad blood, you know, ‘cause I’d love to eat here one day.”

She smiled at him, blinking her large blue eyes. Yuusuke scowled.

“Sure, you can eat here. I’ll just charge you up the ass for everything you order.”

Minako gaped. “Hey, what happened to our truce?!”

“What truce? I never signed anything!”

“Oh come on, don’t tell me you weren’t taken in by my pretty blue eyes—”

“Rei-chan, whatever your name is,” Yuusuke said, “you’d better get your friend out of here before I hurt her.”

“It’s Hino,” Rei said flatly, giving him a sullen look. “And don’t boss me around. Minako, come on.”

“Ouch, Rei!”

Yuusuke watched as Rei grabbed Minako and dragged her out of her seat. She proceeded to yank the blonde down the street, ignoring her—but before Yuusuke could dismiss the two as random weird girls, Rei glanced over her shoulder to look at him. He wasn’t a psychic like Kuwabara, and he was nowhere near as intuitive as Hiei or Kurama, but he could have sworn that he felt something in that gaze of hers.

Just as abruptly as the moment had come, it passed when Minako spotted another ramen stand across the street. “Dude, Rei, you totally have to treat me after I saved your ass from last time!”

“Ugh,” Rei grumbled as she broke eye contact and followed after her friend. Yuusuke scratched his cheek absently, wondering what that feeling was. 

“Woah, who were _they_?”

Yuusuke blinked as Keiko flopped down into the vacant seat in front of him. He turned around and immediately began making her usual. “Some crazy chicks, I dunno, got on my nerves and didn’t even order anything.”

“Hmm,” Keiko said, cupping her chin in her hands. “Maybe you really are getting popular, Yuusuke. Better cut it out before you put my family out of business.”

“Yeah right, like I’d let that happen.” Yuusuke flashed her a grin as he started slicing the pork. “I’d rather buy your shop so we could run it together.”

Keiko was silent. Yuusuke paused, turning to face her. Her face was bright red.

“Hey, you okay? You’re—”

“Shut up!” Keiko squeaked, patting her cheeks while looking everywhere except for at him. “You’re burning my noodles!”

Easily distracted, Yuusuke whipped back around. She was right. “Ack! Sorry, Keiko!”

“Idiot,” Keiko mumbled, but she was smiling all the while.


	2. genkai i

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this follows yyh's manga ending but i love genkai so she's very much present. also i think setsuna and koenma would be mortal enemies (aka bffs) forever.

“What did you do in Makai, wipe your ass all day long?” Genkai said plainly as Yuusuke’s character on screen fell over writhing. Yuusuke growled.

“Shut it, obaachan!” He mashed buttons on his controller, prompting the screen to quickly revive his character.

“Wimp,” Genaki retorted after she knocked out his character a second time. The screen flashed ‘KO!’ Yuusuke chucked his controller at the screen. “You must somehow be making a lot of money at your ramen stand if you think you can just break things without replacing them.”

“Whatever,” Yuusuke scowled, crossing his arms and hunching over. Genaki thought he looked like a kicked puppy, without the kick. She had half a mind to fix that (by kicking him, of course) when he spoke. “Hey, obaachan.”

“What?”

“What’s going to happen with everyone?”

Genkai glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Although he was busy selecting a character on the screen, she could tell that behind his nonchalant stare was a worried mind. Stupid boy, she thought. He was always worked up over dumb things.

“I mean,” Yuusuke said after a moment of silence, “like Ruka and them are being made fun of on TV. You think it’s gonna keep going on?”

“They’re being made fun of because they’re acting like idiots,” Genkai said. “If they would stop yapping about magazine shoots instead of relations with Makai, then humans will take them seriously.”

“I guess,” Yuusuke said, rubbing the back of his head. He shrugged after a moment, deciding that the old lady had a point. In the last interview he’d seen, Juri had been trying to advise the interviewer to take his wife out on a date in the Forest of Fools. He made to restart the game when a voice interrupted them.

“Hello, Genkai?”

The two of them turned to the door, which slid open to reveal a pretty woman holding a large box. Yuusuke blinked; Genkai didn’t even seem surprised that some lady had just broken into her temple. Did the old woman actually have friends?

“Please excuse my intrusion,” the pretty woman said, bowing slightly. Her eyes rested for a moment on Yuusuke, who stared back unabashed. For a moment, he felt as if she were trying to probe him. Before he could properly respond (with a middle finger and a quick punch in the gut), she smiled and turned back to Genkai. “Are you well?”

“Feh,” Genkai said, eyeing the large box. She gestured to the tea set sitting beside her. “Help yourself to the tea if you want. It’s still hot.”

“Thank you.”

“Psst,” Yuusuke hissed as the woman carefully poured herself a cup of tea. “Who’s that? You have _friends_?”

“Of course I have friends, I’m not a rude little snot like you,” Genkai said, not even bothering to be subtle. “Speaking of which, tell Kurama to hurry up with my tree when you see him. It needs to be done by the end of summer.”

“I’m not your messenger boy, you do it yourself!”

“You’re gonna make a little old lady like me walk down all those steps, take a train into the city all by myself—”

“What the hell are you acting so defenseless for?” Yuusuke asked incredulously. “You have a phone, don’t you?”

Genkai turned to the woman as if to say, “This is what I’ve had to work with this whole time, don’t you feel bad for me?” The woman only laughed.

“If you’ll allow me, Genkai, I was planning to visit the city later. I can deliver the message.”

“Thank you. At least someone has manners.”

Yuusuke flipped Genkai the bird. Then he turned his stare onto the woman. “How do you know Kurama?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I suppose I should introduce myself to you, Urameshi-kun. My name is Setsuna.”

“How the hell do you know my name?” Yuusuke asked, scrutinizing her. If she was friends with Genkai and somehow knew Kurama, then there was no reason to be on the defense—unless it was some crazy trap set up by the old woman so she could berate him some more for letting his guard down all the time.

“Everyone knows your name,” Setsuna said, looking slightly amused. “You’re the founder of the Makai Tournament, after all.”

“Oh, right,” Yuusuke said. Was she from Reikai, then? That would most certainly explain the creepy feeling he got from her.

“Anyway, Genkai, are you interested in this season’s new selections?” Setsuna pulled the lid off the box; at once Yuusuke could feel a large amount of youki overflowing from inside. He started, his instincts ready to kick in (it was Genkai, she was crazy, for all he knew there were demons in there ready to eat his face as a test of his dexterity), but Genkai merely leaned forward.

“Got anything red?” she asked.

“Of course.” Setsuna reached into the box and began pulling out—clothes, Yuusuke realized. Robes, dresses, shirts and hats and gloves, all different colors and styles. Genkai was examining each article listlessly, picking out what she liked and didn’t like. He reeled back; what had been that enormous energy, then?

“What the hell is going on?”

Genkai shot him an annoyed look as she tossed a hat in the ‘yes’ pile. Setsuna only smiled that obnoxiously knowing smile of hers. “Please allow me to explain, Urameshi-kun. I’m a clothing designer. I have shops set up throughout Makai, and only one in Reikai. I haven’t decided to make my move into the human market, however, so any customers I have in this world, I must personally visit. The Youko Kurama has purchased some robes from me, so he isn’t unfamiliar.”

“Oh,” Yuusuke said, having slightly lost interest in the conversation. So she was just some weird shop lady.

“I obviously cannot physically move all of my assets with me,” Setsuna continued. She ran a finger along the edge of the box; again Yuusuke felt that youki spark through the air. “This box is but a means to temporarily transport my goods with me.”

“Oh,” Yuusuke repeated. Then he turned back to the game, quickly starting it to first player.

“My,” Setsuna said to Genkai. “He is as eloquent as you.”

“Pfft.” Genkai gestured to the pile on her right. “I’ll take these.”

“Wonderful. Shall I deduct from your account directly?”

“Do whatever,” Genkai said, smoothing her hands over a newly purchased shirt. Yuusuke muttered something under his breath that had she heard it, he was sure to have been slammed into the ceiling. Instead, Genkai’s attention was focused on the new reiki that suddenly filled the room. Her eyes fell on the door, which slid open again.

Koenma walked right in, looking unsurprised to see Yuusuke there. “Forgive me for intruding.”

“Ah, Koenma-sama,” Setsuna said pleasantly. “Still wearing last year’s scarf, I see.”

“Last year?” Koenma balked, pulling his scarf closer to him. “I got this thing ages ago, it’s vintage.”

“Quite,” Setsuna said. “Did you need something from me?”

Koenma opened his mouth, ready to decline, when he realized something. While he had come here to speak with Genkai, he did have some business with Setsuna. “Well, if you’re offering your assistance—”

“I’m not,” Setsuna said politely. Yuusuke snorted as Koenma’s eye started twitching.

“Why do you always have to be so difficult?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Setsuna said. Yuusuke, despite his initial misgivings, thought that maybe he would be able to get along with Setsuna—especially if she kept pissing off Koenma.

“Forget it,” Koenma said. He turned to Genkai, bowing swiftly. “Pardon my presence, but I need a favor from you. There’s a youkai who accidentally left Makai without meaning to, but for some reason he can’t get back. He needs a place to stay while we try to figure this out. I’ve tried contacting other home-stays, but they’re busy with their current charges. The Kuwabara family might be able to take him in, but I thought I’d ask you first, just in case.”

“Does he clean?” Genkai asked, still examining the fabric of her newest hat. Koenma blinked.

“Er—well, I suppose.”

“Does he cook?”

“I—believe he does.”

Genkai looked up for a moment. Then she nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Koenma repeated, looking lost.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“No need,” Koenma replied swiftly, although on the inside he wondered why everyone was such a pain in the ass. He bowed again. “Thank you for your kindness, Genkai.”

Yuusuke snorted again. Koenma chose to ignore that. Genkai smoothed out the robe she had just purchased. It didn’t look any different from the one she wore now.

“Setsuna,” Koenma said, turning back to the designer. He fought back a sigh as he rummaged through his robes. After a moment, he produced a sheet of paper and handed it to her. She accepted it, blinking once she read what was on it.

“A permission slip?”

“New Reikai regulations,” Koenma said through gritted teeth. He had been against the amendment, but the elder council kept ranting about Yuusuke-this and Yuusuke-that that he finally gave in.

“You need a permission slip,” Setsuna said slowly, “for underage detectives?”

“Just sign it,” Koenma said. Instead, Setsuna folded it up carefully and placed it into her box.

“I’ll need a week to look it over. I’ll send it through the normal method.”

“A wee—Setsuna, just sign the damn thing and give it back!” Koenma held his hand out. Setsuna shook her head ruefully.

“Such impatience, Koenma-sama. You know that time is something to be cherished.”

“Setsu—”

“You found a new detective?” Yuusuke asked, glancing over his shoulder as he paused his game. Koenma inwardly sighed, knowing that he couldn’t avoid the conversation. He returned his gaze evenly.

“Of course I did, Yuusuke. Did you think I was just going to sit around and sign papers after everything? I have to clean up your mess somehow.”

“What about Kuwabara?”

“Shizuru won’t allow it,” Koenma huffed, folding his hands over his chest. “Apparently school is more important than saving the world.”

“So,” Yuusuke said without skipping a beat, “who’s the new guy?”

Koenma narrowed his eyes. “Don’t even think about it,” he warned. “I’m serious, Yuusuke. I know you what you’re planning—”

“That idiot doesn’t plan,” Genkai input.

“—but don’t even think of challenging your replacement!”

“The hell?” Yuusuke scowled. “My name’s not Kuwabara, I’m not gonna _challenge_ anyone! I just wanna know who you picked because we don’t need another Sensui running around!”

Silence. Genkai glanced sharply at Yuusuke, who seemed to realize what he said. Still, the youth stood his ground as he glared up at Koenma. Koenma’s own expression was guilty, even under the defensive frown. Although he wanted to tell Yuusuke it was none of his business, he couldn’t—because it was every part of Yuusuke’s business. The ordeal with Sensui had never been truly resolved. It had faded away in lieu of Raizen and the Makai Tournament, but now the buried past was coming back up. And Itsuki was still somewhere out there, hiding between the lines of dimensions, hence the need for a new detective—but of course, considering the capabilities of Itsuki, it would take more than one spiritually astute human... 

Setsuna broke into his thoughts as she reached into the box, pulled out the sheet and swiftly signed it. She handed the paper to a baffled Koenma before she turned to Yuusuke. “Don’t worry,” she said honestly, “Hotaru-chan is nothing like Sensui.”

“Whatever,” Yuusuke said, feeling for some reason embarrassed under Setsuna’s gaze. He glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck. Koenma sighed, slipping the sheet into his pocket. Genkai, on the other hand, continued to watch Yuusuke.

“So, Koenma-sama,” Setsuna said smoothly, pulling an armful of fabric from the box. “Have you ever thought about getting a new scarf? I have a gold one that would go wonderfully with your pacifier.”

As Koenma fought against the urge to smack her, Yuusuke smirked. He could get along with Setsuna alright. Genkai, however, kept quiet, dismissing herself to put away her purchases. Before she closed the sliding door behind her, she paused and gave Yuusuke one last glance. It was Setsuna, however, who met her gaze.

The Time Guardian nodded her head, and Genkai moved on, understanding that if things were to go wrong, then at least Setsuna would be there to help Yuusuke.


	3. botan i

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love botan and her cotton candy color scheme.

“If you ignore her, she’ll go away,” Rei said once she realized that Hotaru was openly staring at the ferry girl floating above her head. Around them, passersby seemed to be oblivious to the fact that there was a girl sitting mid-air atop an oar, whining at the top of her lungs. Hotaru nodded slowly, bringing her attention back to the priestess.

“Well, I was just wondering if it was okay—”

“Please please _please_ , Hino-san, _please_! I’m begging you!”

Hotaru found herself staring at the ferry girl again, who was now floating upside-down in Rei’s face. Rei was doing an outstanding job of pretending that she wasn’t there.

“If you say no, I’ll get fired!” the ferry girl continued, clasping her hands together.

“Was there something you wanted, Hotaru?” Rei asked through gritted teeth. Her eyebrow twitched just the slightest. Hotaru couldn’t help but tilt her head as she studied the ferry girl.

“You know,” she said slowly as the ferry girl started spinning in a circle around them. “That kimono looks like one of Setsuna-mama’s designs.”

The ferry girl froze. Then she dove right down in front of Hotaru, landing deftly on her feet. She clutched her oar in front of her, grinning almost maniacally. “You can see me!”

Hotaru blinked. “Well—”

“That’s absolutely perfect!” the ferry girl gushed, her eyes bright and shiny. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Botan. Would you consider becoming a detective for Reikai?”

“Oh give it up,” Rei finally snapped, grabbing Botan by the ear and yanking her back. “Have you no shame?”

“None whatsoever,” Botan chirped, despite the fact that she could no longer feel her ear. “Koenma-sama says that’s something I need to work on.”

“I’m not interested,” Rei said hotly. “She’s not interested. No one’s interested, Botan, go home!”

“I can’t without you!”

Hotaru sheepishly smiled at the couple that walked by; they were staring at Rei, wondering what she was doing, grabbing at air. Of course they would. Botan was a spirit, so they couldn’t see that Rei was shaking her in frustration. She probably looked insane to them; heck, Hotaru could see everything that was going on and thought the priestess was losing it. “Um, maybe we should—”

“Yes, let’s!” Botan cheered, unaffected by Rei’s glower. “We should get out of here and discuss matters privately!”

“We are _not_ —”

“Can’t you at least give me a reason why?”

Rei pursed her lips, releasing Botan. She stared at her for a moment, her eyes narrowed. Then she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m busy.”

“You can make time!”

“We should really get out of the street,” Hotaru suggested, only to be ignored. She sighed, watching as Botan actually dropped down to her knees.

“Hino-saaaaan,” she wailed. “Pleeeease, the future of Reikai depends on you!”

“What happened to your last detective?” Rei replied sourly, tugging her skirt away from Botan’s hands.

“Oh, him, pfft,” Botan huffed, waving the question away. “He’s old news. You’re what we need, Rei-chan!”

Rei wondered how she went from ‘Hino-san’ to ‘Rei-chan’ in less than five minutes. She opened her mouth to tell Botan off when Hotaru successfully cut through their conversation. “That _is_ one of Setsuna-mama’s designs, isn’t it? I can tell from the peony on the back.”

Botan and Rei both stared at her, having forgotten she was there. Then Botan glanced down at her kimono. “Oh, this old thing? I got it from a boutique in Reikai, it’s not something you’d see in the human world.” She paused before adding, “But if you come with me to Reikai and talk to Koenma-sama, I can totally take you there after! Meiou Boutiques, it’s one of a kind!”

“You’re kidding,” Rei said, blinking. She grabbed Botan’s sleeve and lifted it, studying the fabric. “Setsuna really made this?”

“I didn’t know she had a shop in Reikai,” Hotaru pouted. “She’s always so secretive, ne.”

“You know Meiou?” Botan’s eyes widened. “Is Setsuna her human name? She’s so mysterious, no one knows anything about her except that her designs are super cute! I like her more simple ones, especially for work, but she’s got really glamorous ones, too, Ayame has some of them somewhere deep in her closet—”

“The peony is a nice touch,” Rei complimented, nodding her head in agreement.

“Isn’t it?” Botan’s eyes almost sparkled. “There was another one like this, with a spider kiku, it was gorgeous but it didn’t really suit me. Maybe you should take a look!”

“Rei, Hotaru, what are you guys doing on this side of town?”

The two girls in question blinked, turning to the young man in the green blazer. “Oh, Mamoru,” Rei said. “I was just doing some shopping, and I ran into Hotaru-chan here.”

“Hello!” Hotaru bowed, greeting him politely. Mamoru inwardly squealed; his future daughter’s best friend was always so well-mannered. He took a moment to appreciate Chibiusa’s choice in friends (which were a million times better than her choice in boyfriends).

“Doing some shopping for Usagi?” Rei asked, raising an eyebrow at the bag of pastries Mamoru carried. Mamoru actually rolled his eyes.

“She specifically requested donuts for dinner. I tried telling her no, but—”

“Let me guess, she used the sad eyes?”

“She used the sad eyes,” Mamoru sighed. Rei and Hotaru both looked at him in pity; no one could ever resist Usagi’s sad eyes.

“Ooh, who’s this guy?” Botan asked, poking Rei in the cheek. Rei elbowed her harshly, hoping Mamoru didn’t notice the odd gesture. She had forgotten what Botan was actually there for; hopefully Mamoru wasn’t unlucky enough to be able to see spirits as well.

“Oh?” Mamoru blinked, glancing at Botan. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to ignore you. My name is Chiba Mamoru.”

Rei smacked her forehead. Hotaru smiled nervously. Mamoru blinked.

“What, did I say something wrong?” 

“This,” Botan whispered, her eyes wide with glee as she pictured Koenma-sama giving her a month’s vacation for finding three spiritually astute humans less than a week, “is the best day of my _life_.”


	4. ramen ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no idea why i like the idea of keiko and makochan being buddies (and also makochan picking up haruka’s shamless/charismatic habits).

“What’s wrong, Keiko-chan?”

Keiko’s head quickly shot up. “Nothing! I’m fine.”

Beside her, Makoto gave her a slight glance. It was obvious the girl was lying (Makoto thought she herself was the crappiest liar in the world, but apparently there were those far more unfortunate), but she didn’t seem to want to press the subject. Makoto shrugged. “If you say so.”

“Thanks, Mako-chan.”

Makoto grinned at the shorter girl. “Hey, it’s your birthday! I can’t bug you too much, can I?”

Keiko laughed as Makoto nudged her head. She put down her drink, reaching for the nearest microphone. At once the other occupants of the karaoke room started hooting and hollering. Keiko, embarrassed, ducked her head again to pick out songs. One of her other friends started chanting the title of a popular song; soon everyone joined in, and Keiko had no choice but to pick it.

“’scuse me, I’m gonna get some air,” Makoto said as the music started. She slipped out of the room easily, stepping over a couple that was more interested in themselves than the karaoke. She raised her hand to the owner of the place, signaling that she would be back.

Once she stepped outside, she slipped out a cigarette and lit it. As the smoke curled up into the air, she sighed. As fun as this bunch was, they weren’t... _fun_. Which didn’t make sense. Makoto frowned trying to make sense of her thoughts. They were fun, but they were not the Senshi. And she adored Keiko like a little sister, but Keiko was off tonight. Keiko usually had a spark to her, no matter how stressed or quiet she was. Tonight, though, the spark was suppressed.

“That stuff will kill you, you know.”

Makoto blinked, glancing over her shoulder. She smiled sheepishly as Keiko lowered her eyebrows at her. “Heh, sorry, bad habit.”

Keiko grabbed the cigarette right out of her mouth, glaring at it. Then, without warning, she stuck it between her own lips. Makoto gaped.

“W—woah, Keiko—”

Keiko took in a long drag, glaring at her all the while. A second passed—and then she started hacking, keeling over for air. Makoto thumped her on the back, all the while hoping that it didn’t look like she was mugging her. “What the heck, that’s so gross!” Keiko sputtered eventually, once she could breathe. “That was even worse than the first time!”

“The first time?” Makoto gaped again, righting her friend up. “You’ve smoked before?”

Keiko scowled, crossing her arms. “That idiot does.”

“That idiot?”

“Yuusuke.”

“Yuu... suke?” Makoto scratched her head. Keik’s grumpy expression cleared.

“Oh, you’ve never met him, have you?”

A light went off in Makoto’s head. She held up a finger, eyes wide. “Ah! So this Yuusuke is the guy you’re having an affair with?”

“M—mako-chan!”

Makoto nudged. “So when do I get to meet him?”

Keiko hesitated, biting her lip. Makoto blinked, having not expected this. She had only been teasing, of course. “Well,” Keiko said, and she glanced back at the entrance. “He was supposed to come, but he’s stuck at work.”

“Doesn’t he have his own shop?”

“Yeah,” Keiko said, playing with the hem of her sleeve. Makoto had never seen such uncertainty on her face; the look was unnatural on her. She quickly made up her mind.

“Well,” she said, throwing her arm around Keiko. “Let’s go meet him, then. I’ll give him a piece of my mind, and then you guys can kiss and make up.”

“Mako-chan—”

“What way is it?”

Keiko sighed, glancing back at the entrance again. “Are you sure? They’ll be mad—”

Makoto raised her eyebrows. Keiko laughed, shaking her head, remembering that while they were all friends, they were all also very afraid of angering Makoto.

“Alright, let’s go,” she relented, and she led the way. Makoto was surprised to find that it was only on the other side of town. She wondered briefly why she had never seen the shop before, especially since she and the other senshi scoured the streets nightly for youma once a week.

The ramen stand was packed with customers. Makoto surveyed the kid behind the counter coolly. He was okay, she thought. Not really her type—actually, she couldn’t picture him with Keiko at all, especially when he started accosting a customer for not paying. Then again, if anyone had asked her years ago, she couldn’t imagine Usagi with Mamoru. She shrugged, taking Keiko by the arm and leading the way.

“Oh, Keiko, can you get around here?” Yuusuke asked once he spotted her, flipping noodles in a pan. He grimaced as a new customer approached the stand.

“It’s my birthday,” Keiko said flatly.

“Yeah, yeah—”

“Say please.”

Makoto raised her eyebrows as Yuusuke glowered at her. “Forget I ever asked for your help!”

“Fine,” Keiko said, stubbornly crossing her arms. She leaned back in her seat, watching almost smugly as Yuusuke nearly dropped the noodles. Makoto scratched her head; before she could ask Keiko if it was alright to leave him to fend for himself, Keiko stood up and walked around the back. “You owe me one, Yuusuke.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Yuusuke repeated, but he was smirking. As soon as Keiko approached the counter, there was a loud bang. Keiko shrieked, clutching her heart and scrambling back as streamers flew at her. Makoto leapt back from her own seat, crouching down at the sudden noise; when she saw four people with party hats pop out from beside the counter, she heaved a sigh. The other customers started clapping, joining in a round of ‘Happy Birthday.’

“Happy birthday, Keiko-chan!” the girl with blue hair exclaimed, springing forward to throw her arms around the startled brunette. “You should have seen your face! Priceless!”

“B—botan?” Keiko stuttered, absently patting her on the back. “And Yukina-chan, you’re here too?”

“Of course we’re here,” the giant boy with hair almost as obnoxious as Usagi’s said. Makoto wondered where she had seen him before. The red-haired fellow beside him held up a neatly wrapped package.

“Shizuru couldn’t make it, so we’re her errand boys.”

“Kuwabara, Kurama-san, thank you,” Keiko said, taking the gift. She let out a large breath, puffing out her cheeks before turning to Yuusuke. “Thanks for warning me, jerk!”

“Pfft!” Yuusuke said with a grin as he packed up a box of noodles for a customer. “Not my fault you’re a fraidy pants.”

“Hey, take it easy on her Urameshi,” the customer said, paying Yuusuke and taking the box. “That one’s a keeper, I can tell.”

“Oh cut it out old man.” Yuusuke turned back to his friends (Botan was nudging Keiko with a wily grin). His eyes immediately fell on the girl standing next to Yukina. Keiko, noticing his gaze, shrugged Botan off.

“Everyone, this is Mako-chan,” Keiko said importantly, motioning to her tall friend. “She’s from Juuban.”

“Yo,” Makoto said, flashing a peace sign. “Nice job surprising her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Keiko so flustered since she accidentally used the men’s room.”

“Mako-chan!” Keiko protested, but she was smiling nonetheless.

“So how do you guys know each other?” Kuwabara asked curiously. As far as he knew, Keiko still hung out with those two girls from junior high. She’d gained a few friends from her new high school, but no one from outside of the area, and definitely not giant girls from Tokyo.

“Mako-chan beat up some guys for me,” Keiko said with a shrug. “She’s my personal yakuza.”

Makoto gave a thumbs-up and a pearly white grin. Yuusuke blinked. “Huh?”

“Jeez, Yuusuke,” Keiko muttered under her breath. Botan rubbed her hands together gleefully.

“Oh, Yuusuke, what an idiot!” she crowed. At once Yuusuke turned his glare on to her.

“Say that again!”

“Keiko-chan’s just trying to make you feel bad because you weren’t here to protect her!” Botan continued. She slapped Keiko on the back, who buried her face in her hands. “Not that she needs protection, but every once in awhile it would be nice if a big strong man could take care of her! Am I right, Keiko-chan?”

Keiko made in inaudible voice as Kurama turned in his seat so he wouldn’t directly laugh in her face. Yukina looked just as confused as Yuusuke, who was being lectured by Kuwabara on the points of being an honorable man. Makoto, however, grinned and leaned against the counter.

The spark that had been missing all night was now blooming on Keiko’s face.

“Mako-san,” Yukina said, turning to her suddenly. Makoto wanted to reach out and pinch her adorable little cheeks. “Would you like some cake?”

“Sure,” Makoto said, standing up from her lean. “Anything from a cutiepie like you.”

Yukina blushed so red that Makoto wondered if she was going to pass out. Kuwabara, on the other hand, paled as he eyed her.

“Oh, wow!” Botan cheered, clapping her hands together. Kurama was laughing into his hand. “It looks like Kuwa-chan has a rival!”

“S—shut up, Botan, I don’t fight women!”

“She looks like she could kick your ass,” Yuusuke said, grinning at his pal. Kuwabara swiped at him; he easily dodged.

“Mako-chan,” Keiko sighed, shaking her head. “Can’t you turn off your charm for a bit?”

“My charm?” Makoto tilted her head, blinking. She glanced back at the others; Yukina had covered her face with her hands and Kurama was patting her back while trying to dodge Kuwabara’s poorly-aimed punches at Yuusuke. Botan had taken to standing on a stool, trying to cheer him on as Yuusuke evaded every jab.

“Look at what you’ve started,” Keiko said, but she smiled up at her friend and looped their arms together. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Makoto responded with a wink. “Happy birthday, Keiko.”


	5. ramen iii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a minaxyuusuke friendship is all i ever wanted.

“Psst, hey.”

Yuusuke continued to fry the noodles in the pan, not even bothering to look at the new customer. “Yeah, yeah, just a sec.”

“Psst!” the new customer hissed even more urgently. “Seriously!”

Yuusuke paused. He’d heard that voice before. He scowled, glancing up to see Aino Minako standing in front of him. Judging from the look on her face, she was constipated. “Sorry, we don’t have a bathroom here.”

“What?” Minako blinked a few times. She exchanged a few glances with the one customer already there. “What is he—never mind, hey, can you help me?”

She leaned forward and rapped her knuckles against the table. Yuusuke smacked her hand away with a chopstick. “Hands off.”

“Yowch!” Minako shrank back, fanning her hand and looking scandalized. “Is that how you treat a customer?”

“Listen, blondie,” Yuusuke said, jabbing the chopstick in the air. “Business is business but I don’t really like you.” 

Minako only huffed. “I don’t really like you either, but you’re my last resort. Rei’s busy trying to evade some Reikai thing so she’s been ignoring me but I _really_ —hey, are you even listening?”

Yuusuke wasn’t. He flipped the noodles into a take-away box and handed it to the patiently waiting customer. The customer thanked him, gave Minako a weird glance and ambled off. Yuusuke then proceeded to fiddle with the remote to the mini television sitting at the end of the counter. Since when did entertainment news shows start talking about the Cult Trio like they were pop icons? He paused on MTVJ; Juri was letting the host pull her tail to prove that it was real.

“It kinda tickles, really,” she said as the host stammered like a fanboy. Beside her, Ruka and Koto rolled their eyes.

“Hel _lo_?”

Yuusuke turned back to Minako and squawked once he realized she was straddling the table top. He grabbed the nearest spatula and started smacking her. “Get off my booth, you batshit—”

“Well stop ignoring me then!” Minako roared back, unfazed by the spatula. She swatted it away, hoisting herself completely over. Once she righted herself up, she pointed a finger at his chest. “I’m telling you I’ve got a job for you, you greasy little punk!”

“Greasy little—I’m gonna kill you!”

“Sure, whatever, just get rid of the ghost in my house!”

“No way in hell!”

“It keeps stealing my underwear!” Minako growled, yanking Yuusuke by the front of his shirt. “I need underwear!”

“You’re damn crazy!” Yuusuke barked right in her face, grabbing her collar. The two of them narrowed their eyes at each other. “Let go of me.”

“Not until you agree to help me,” Minako said in a low voice.

“5000 yen.”

“What?” Minako gaped. “That’s way too much!”

“Good luck going commando then,” Yuusuke snapped, shoving her away. He went back to channel surfing, finally stopping on a mixed martial arts fight. Minako, however, turned around with a muffled shriek; she grabbed fistfuls of her hair, muttering to herself before she let out a huge moan.

“ _Fine_. 5000 yen.” She leaned back, eyeing him. “You can get the job done?”

“Yeah, yeah, just have the cash ready tomorrow.”

“I’m counting on you,” she said. Yuusuke waved his hand, eyes stuck on the screen. Minako fished through her pockets before placing a slip of paper on the table. “Here’s my address. Can you be there—”

“I work nights,” Yuusuke interrupted. “I’ll be there before shop opens.”

“Fine.” Minako stared at the back of his head for a second longer. Then she hoisted herself back over the counter. “See you then, Urameshi!”

“Yeah, yeah—oi, quit jumping over the counter, that’s not sanitary!”

Yuusuke threw a spoon at her retreating form. She somehow caught it without looking, stuffing it in the band of her skirt as she continued on her way.

“Freakin’ crazy ass,” Yuusuke grumbled, dropping down into his seat and focusing back on the television.

x

“Minako-chan, who’s your handsome visitor?”

“Shut it, mom, he’s underaged,” Minako said without missing a beat as she led Yuusuke upstairs. Yuusuke scratched his cheek, following after her. Was he supposed to ignore the sudden rage he felt emitting from her mother? Minako made her way down the hall before stopping in front of a door decorated with stars. A hand-painted sign declared the room as hers.

She opened the door and Yuusuke stared. How many stuffed animals did this chick have? And did she ever do laundry? Hell, _he_ was cleaner than her, and he worked night shifts.

“Well,” Minako said, hands on her hips. “Do your thing. And don’t break anything, half of this stuff isn’t mine. Oh, and don’t look under the bed. Or behind the bookshelf.”

Yuusuke glanced at her window. Tuning her out (that girl really knew how to yap on and on, even more than Botan), he made his way over to the window. He stuck his head out and glanced around—ah, so that was it. Really easy money. “Oi, Aino, I get rid of this thing right now and you pay me double.”

“Screw you,” Minako automatically said in reflex, but after a second she sighed. “Fine, whatever.”

Yuusuke grinned and leapt out of the window. Minako gaped, rushing over. She shoved the curtains aside and pushed half her body out the window.

“Urameshi! What the hell, don’t go committing suicide on my property!”

“Will you quit bitching? You’re gonna scare it away.”

Minako scrunched her face up as she maneuvered to properly get a good look on the roof. Yuusuke was sprawled on top, staring intently at a space of air. He slowly started making his way up; he was surprisingly quiet for someone who was so loud, and startlingly limber for a guy who seemed like he belonged in a biker gang. For a moment she understood why he could see spirits—he was just like Rei, like Mamoru and Hotaru.

Then he took in a deep breath, opened his mouth, and screamed. This caused Minako to also scream, which caused the neighbor to run out of his own house to see if the Aino household had finally caught on fire. Instead, the neighbor only saw some boy flying off a roof and landing nimbly on his feet. He had half a mind to call the cops, but it was the Aino household. Stranger things have happened.

Minako waited until the neighbor retreated back into his house before she herself leapt out of the window. Yuusuke raised his eyebrows when she landed without a care in the world. She didn’t move like a regular human at all, and yet she couldn’t see spirits?

“What the _heck_ ,” Minako said, throwing her hands up. “You gave me a freakin’ heart attack!”

Yuusuke held his hand up, brandishing the culprit he had caught. “Only way to catch these little creeps is to sneak up on ‘em.”

“You realize I can’t see that, right?”

“Oh.”

Yuusuke glanced at the tiny demon spirit, whose tail he had pinched in his fingers. The demon was wriggling, swinging to and fro. “Lemme go!” it squeaked. “I was just playin’ a game, lemme go!”

“Pfft,” Yuusuke said, holding the demon up to eye level. “You know how pissed Koenma’s gonna be? This means more paperwork for him.”

“Koenma? Seriously buddy?” The demon spirit gaped up at him. “Let’s cut a deal—”

“You got more than 10,000 yen on you?” Yuusuke asked.

“I got 2500,” the demon said hopefully. Yuusuke snorted.

“Deal’s off.”

“Aw come on! Can’t I stay?” The demon spirit raised a hand up to hiss, “Look at her! She’s the hottest human I’ve ever peeped on!”

“Shut it, pervert.” Yuusuke shoved the demon in his pocket before turning to Minako, who tried not to look weirded out as it seemed like Yuusuke was talking to his fist. “Pay up.”

Minako wordlessly (forlornly, with a slight tear in her eye as she had been meaning to pay Ami back for her newest manga set) held out ten 1000 yen notes. Yuusuke took them, wondering if how much of it he could spend at the arcade. There was also that new cutting board he needed, as well as an apron...

“Urameshi.”

Yuusuke glanced up from counting his money. Minako had an odd look on her face—too odd, he thought, but he really didn’t want to think too much about it. It looked like she was a girl who had too much to hide, too much to lose. People like that were trouble. “What?”

“Thanks,” Minako said. She was smiling, but Yuusuke could tell that there was something behind her smile. It was the way Kurama looked, sometimes, or even Kuwabara. “If you need help with anything, consider me in your debt.”

“Pfft,” Yuusuke said. “As if you could help. Leave it to the pros.”

Minako laughed then, waving off his insult. “Sure, sure, leave it to the pros. Don’t come crying to me when you need a hero, though.”

“Right, like you’re Super Woman.” Yuusuke held up two fingers in a goodbye salute, making his way down the sidewalk. It was just about time to open up shop again. His mother had mentioned something about stopping by with a good job for him; if he was lucky, he could make himself dinner before she arrived.

Minako tucked her hands into her pockets, her smile quickly fading as she watched him go. Artemis curled around her ankles, peering up at her. “What do you think?” he asked.

“He’s strong,” she replied faintly. “I’m not sure, though.”

“You’re not sure?”

“Nothing.” Minako turned on her heel, heading back towards her house. Artemis was right beside her, eyebrows furrowed. She sighed, scooping him up and placing him on her shoulder. “Really, Art, I’m just jealous.”

“Mina...”

“I want to be the one to help Rei,” she said quietly. “That’s all.”

They both knew that was a lie, but not why. Minako slowly trudged up the stairs to her room, and when she closed the door, she couldn’t help but wonder—what was it about Urameshi Yuusuke that made her so upset?


	6. botan ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i started writing this, i had decided on mamoru, rei and hotaru for reikai's picks because they seemed the most “spiritual” out of the senshi (mamo with his psychokinesis, hotaru with her healing and rei with her rei-ness). then i realized that i maybe needed a reason for it all!

Case file #1: Chiba Mamoru, age 22, current resident of Moto-Azabu, Minato, Tokyo. Traces of youkai blood, no signs of abnormal activity to date. When he was twenty, Chiba collided into the youkai Sugu, then disguised as a human named Takahashi Suguru. While attending to Sugu’s injuries, Chiba came in contact with youkai blood, and the youkai blood was introduced into his own system. While there is no evidence of youkai DNA developing on its own, the youkai blood has fused with the human blood, creating a classic case of accidental youkai contaminant. Currently being surveyed by Rinbai of the Special Defense Force.

Case file #2: Hino Rei, age 18, current resident of Azabu-Juuban, Minato, Tokyo. Youkai blood in family history, no signs of abnormal activity to date. In 1082, Hino Kagesane, a kuge of the meika class, made contact with Murasaki, a C-class wind youkai. Murasaki gave birth to a human child, who went on to marry a human woman fifteen years later. Murasaki’s blood can be traced along the Hino bloodline with no current signs of atavism of the mazoku. Currently being surveyed by Oho of the Special Defense Force.

Case file #3: Tomoe Hotaru, age 16, current resident of Atago, Minato, Tokyo. Youkai. Born human, Tomoe came into contact with her first youkai at the age of nine when her father implanted a youkai egg into her body. Once the youkai fully developed, it took over her body, thus enabling her body to start creating youkai DNA. The youkai was eventually extinguished, and Tomoe died in the process. Under policy 2.4.18.13, Koenma granted Tomoe a rebirth with no clauses attached. No criminal spiritual record currently exists.

Koenma remembered Hino all too well. After Sensui had disappeared, he’d gone through nearly a hundred applicants to be his replacement before he finally found her. She wasn’t the perfect candidate, but she was heads above the others. Koenma had sent Ayame to employ her; when the girl blatantly refused, he found himself desperate enough to try to recruit her himself.

“I’m busy,” she had said, not at all fazed by the fact that there was a toddler in an oversized hat floating in the air in front of her. She pointed at the cabinet behind him. “Excuse me, I need to get through.”

Koenma knew right then and there that she would be more of a pain in the ass than he wanted to deal with, so he relented. And a year later, Yuusuke gave up his life to save a child from a car accident. Funny how things worked out in the end, he thought as he tossed Hino’s file back into the pile. 

Koenma paused, paging through the last file. If everything were true, then there was no particular reason to be worried about Tomoe anymore. The second she died, all traces of youkai DNA would have been gone from her body and she would have been fully human again. What on earth was her file doing in this section? Normally he would have thrown it under ‘Humans that Were Weird but Now Are Normal’, but she somehow ended up under the ‘Humans that Are Weird’ section.

He racked his mind, trying to think of when the girl had first come to him. She was a small thing, with a scared little face and big watery eyes. He remembered thinking that it was pitiful that something so horrible happened to her, but pity wasn’t going to sway his hand every time. He had been ready to sentence her to one of the gates when Jorge came barging in, saying that his father had recently revised a policy—2.4.18.13: _Humans, Rebirths, Special Circumstances, In case of victimization_. If the human has no responsibility towards their actions in all circumstances of the event that they are to be punished for, they are deemed innocent and may proceed accordingly. If the human had a premature death, they may be granted a rebirth. A formal council must agree on all matters of the human’s responsibility (or lack thereof); the council may be waived if the director feels it unnecessary (under the circumstances of 2.4.18.18).

“That’s right,” he murmured, ignoring Jorge, who was keenly trying to catch his attention. Before, the council had to be gathered for every human who pleaded innocence; usually, by the time the council had gathered, years would pass and the human would end up agreeing to the original sentence just to get it over with. Koenma remembered waiving the council, thinking that there was no way that it was her fault the egg had been implanted in her. She hadn’t asked for it; she wasn’t even conscious when it happened. The girl had waited patiently until he decided that her case didn’t need any further review.

He slammed down his gavel, Ayame led her by the arm out the door, and he went on to the next case. Koenma currently frowned, flipping Tomoe’s case file for anything he might have missed. Nothing unusual struck out. What was he overlooking? He hadn’t sensed anything from her back then, but now he felt as if there was something glaringly obvious. He leaned back in his seat, wondering if maybe he should investigate more before he reached a decision. Then he glanced at the clock and balked. “Jorge! Why didn’t you tell me it was dinner time?”

“K—koenma, sir!” Jorge wailed, eyes brimming with tears. “I tried to tell you, but you shooed me away!”

He dramatically turned away, throwing a hand over his forehead. Koenma rolled up the case files and smacked Jorge with them.

“Ouch—ouch, Koenma, sir, please—ouch!”

“Here!” Koenma barked, thrusting the case files in Jorge’s arms. If the council hadn’t been hounding him, then he would have been content in leaving the whole spirit detective thing alone. Enki was doing more than enough to keep things under wraps on his end. “Get them to Ayame.”

Jorge saluted, even though there were welts popping up the back of his head. “Yes sir! But may I ask, what was so urgent about this that you put off all your paperwork for an hour?”

Koenma then caught sight of his desk. He had half a stack of paperwork when he started looking at the case files; somehow, in the hour he had been trying to figure out Tomoe’s case, the papers piled up to the ceiling. “JORGE!”

“Going, sir, right away, sir!”

And while Koenma tried to eat his dinner and sign papers at the same time, he couldn’t help but curse Yuusuke and Botan. Of course that delinquent would need three whole people to replace him, and of course Botan would find the three most troublesome cases to recruit. Jackasses.


	7. genkai ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter could also be titled ‘Why Rei Will Never Be A Demon, Or Grandpa Hino Is Cooler Than We Thought.’

Toguro used to be a smoker. Genkai never bothered to tell him to stop; he knew how unhealthy it was for him. She wasn’t the type to nag, and if she had been completely honest she didn’t really care. As the years went on, she came to associate the smell of cigarette smoke with late night sparring sessions. It was almost—almost—welcome.

“Please, try the tea.”

Genaki glanced away from her reminiscing to take a sip of her tea. The smoke from the incense curled around the room. The frumpy old man in front of her smiled so widely that she could count all of his fake teeth. “Thanks,” she said begrudgingly.

“Anything for you,” Hino Akihito said. He leaned forward, elbows on knees, still grinning. “So, what can I do for the esteemed Genkai?”

Genkai pursed her lips. He knew very well that she wanted nothing from him; she was Genkai. Whatever she wanted, she could get on her own. “Reikai has an offer.”

“Oh?” Akihito leaned back; she watched as his smile became a bit sly. “Reikai couldn’t ask me themselves?”

“Hmm,” Genkai said, not really bothering to answer.

“How smart of them,” he said, closing one eye. “To send such a beauty, they know I won’t be able to refuse their request.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Fool in love,” Akihito said without missing a beat. His smile fell and he leaned back on his hands. He stretched a leg out in front of him, all propriety forgotten. He seemed younger then—and older at the same time, wise and thoughtless all at once. This was the Hino Akihito that Genkai was accustomed to—the one Toguro had always been wary around. “It’s that serious?”

“Beats me,” Genkai said, taking another sip of tea. Toguro used to hide his jealousy in cigarettes. “Where’s your granddaughter at?”

“Trying to find a husband,” Akihito joked, but his face remained straight. “What does she have to do with anything?”

Genaki sighed, putting her teacup down. “Reikai needs a new spirit detective.”

“You’re kidding, right?” came the automatic response. When Genkai didn’t answer, Akihito stared up at the ceiling, grabbing at his cheek. “You’ve gotta be pulling my tail. Reikai and my family? After all that’s happened?”

“I was under the impression you said all was forgiven,” Genkai said, eyebrows raised.

“Forgiven but not forgotten.” Akihito straightened up from his lounging posture. His eyes were like glittering stones, startlingly sharp. The two of them stared at each other; the smoke from the incense filled her lungs as she breathed in. She could see the way his energy moved within him. It flowed naturally, unhidden and unhindered.

“I’m surprised she hasn’t noticed,” Genkai said after a moment. He looked away first. “Your youki reeks.”

“She’s a busy girl,” Akihito said with a shrug. Genkai watched as his posture changed, and he seemed like a careless old man once more. “Anyway, I don’t think this is for her. She’s saved the world plenty of times before. She needs a break.”

“Would she think that if she knew?”

“Ojiisan?”

Genkai could have smirked at the timing. She watched as Akihito scrambled up, trying to pull himself together. The old man persona wasn’t that much of an act, she thought. He had always been a hasty idiot. The wrinkles and bald head just made it more believable. “Oh, Rei-chan! Come here, come here, you remember Genkai-shihan, right?”

Genkai’s eyes fell on the young woman that carefully stepped in. She could immediately sense the spike of reiki in the room. Interesting, Genkai thought as she accepted the girl’s greeting. Her reiki was threatening to pour right out of her, and yet Akihito was unbothered by it.

“Did you need something?” Akihito asked his granddaughter. Rei nodded.

“I was just going to let you know I’m going to the arcade with Usagi.”

“Oho?” Akihito winked at her. “My future grandson’s waiting at that arcade, isn’t he?”

Genkai’s eyebrows lowered when Rei’s reiki increased double-fold. She was a lot like her idiot student, heedless of the way her reiki tied in with her emotions. “Ojiisan,” the girl said through gritted teeth, and Genkai wondered for a moment if maybe she was going to slap her grandfather. “Behave yourself.”

“I should be saying that to you,” Akihito couldn’t help but say. Rei balled her hands into fists; it was obvious she was trying not to strangle the old man in front of a guests. Instead, she bowed sharply, murmuring a farewell to the two of them. Before she left the room, however, she gave her grandfather an angry stare—one Akihito ignored with a wave and a laugh.

“Her reiki has potential,” Genkai said once the door closed. Akihito blinked.

“Ah, must have gotten that from her mother. A shame that’s what her body naturally tunes into. I’m sure her youki from my side of the family is even more impeccable.”

“Too bad you ruined that.”

Akihito’s smile this time would have been wistful if it weren’t for the gleam in his eye. “Yes, well, I can’t exactly control my genes, can I?”

Before Genkai had met Toguro, she had met Akihito—a brave, foolhardy young man who, in his desperation to save his wife from village bandits, had awoken his demon ancestry. His wife died anyway, and in his sorrow he chose to stay a demon, pillaging villages in search for the bandits. When Genkai stumbled upon him, she saw nothing more than a self-pitying demon—and when she told him that, he tried to kill her. She knocked him flat on his back, put her foot in his face and dared him to do it again.

Reikai had locked him up for two years after he turned himself in, leaving his son in the care of an aunt; it wasn’t until Genkai suggested that they turn to him for assistance on a difficult case did they try to bargain with him. Coincidentally, that case had involved the bandits that had killed his wife. The two of them teamed up for a year, tracking every last member down—and then Reikai killed them right in front of their eyes.

Genkai could remember the rage leaking from his every pore as he watched Reikai take away his vengeance. He said nothing, however, and did nothing. The years in Reikai’s prison had made him realize how much he missed his son. After the incident, Enma-diaou had erased his demon ancestry from his case file. “It’s like you never existed,” Enma-daiou said, but Akihito couldn’t help but think it was more of a favor to Reikai than anything else. With his record nonexistent, they could claim the glory of capturing the bandits themselves.

“Hmph.” Genkai brushed off her robes before standing up. “I have to get going. My new housekeeper is probably trying to run away.”

“Housekeeper?” Akihito raised his eyebrows. “It’s unlike you to have guests.”

Genkai almost sighed. When she had told Koenma that she was fine with hosting the demon unfortunate enough to get stuck in the human world, she had not been aware that she would be opening her home up to the ever-prissy Shishiwakamaru. “I was obligated to host him.” 

“Oho, _him_? Why, Genkai-shihan, I had _no idea_ —”

She gave him one last steely glance. “Thanks for the tea.”

“No problem,” Akihito said quickly, beaming. He knew better than to get his ass handed to him. Genkai felt his eyes on her back as she turned away. Years ago, Toguro would be by her side, clouding the air around them with smoke in a jealous fit. Now, there was only the cool breeze to accompany her.

“Genkai.”

She didn’t stop walking, but she glanced over her shoulder. Akihito had finally shed away his human persona, standing in front of the shrine as a tall, full-fledged demon. This was the side of him she knew—the demon with the cunning gaze and wily demeanor. He smiled, this time baring sharp teeth.

“Tell Koenma I’ll do what I can to convince her.”

“What am I, the messenger girl?” Genkai grumbled to herself as she continued on her way back. If she was lucky, Shishiwakamaru would have already made dinner— _without_ blowing up the place.


	8. botan iii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kurama and michiru are the most difficult to write. ever.

Kurama had not quite adapted to the idea that his mother was a social butterfly. He had known, of course, that she had friends; she was a kind woman and people naturally gravitated to her. After she remarried, her longing for company expanded. He suspected that most of the men who came over for dinner were interested in her; Hatanaka, however, proved stronger than Kurama had originally thought, as most of these men never came back.

“Shuuichi, dear,” his mother would say every time he hid his surprise when he came home to find strangers in the living room. “Drop your things off and say hello to our neighbors.”

Kurama often wondered if his mother considered the whole street ‘neighbors.’

The most peculiar of his mother’s friends happened to be over for dinner the night of Keiko’s birthday. Kurama was in no hurry (Botan was trailing after Keiko in spirit form, monitoring her every move, ready to alert them once she was on her way to the ramen stand). Still, he had hoped that he wouldn’t have to play perfect host; he had a few other errands to do, most of them concerning the rampant makai plants growing all over his ceiling. He had thought that maybe he had fed them too much, but even restricting their diet didn’t work.

The doorbell rang. Kurama poked his head out of his door. Across the hall, Shuuichi did the same.

“I bet it’s Takada-sensei,” Shuuichi said.

“You only think that because you like her,” Kurama teased as his younger step-brother’s face reddened. The two of them eased their way down the stairs to find two young women chatting with their mother. At once Shiori spotted them. She beckoned them over, her fingers grasping onto both of their arms.

“You two remember Michiru and Haruka, yes?”

“Yes!” Shuuichi said immediately. “Good evening!”

Kurama smiled politely and bowed. “How could I forget?”

“You’re always so well-mannered.” Michiru mirrored his expression perfectly, and that was what tipped him off. For someone to be able to look so innocent and yet at the same time so dangerous—Kurama bowed again, feigning humility, when in reality his gaze sharpened.

He could see, if he concentrated, her youki. It was concealed so well that he thought he was imagining it. Once glance at Haruka, however, confirmed it; Haruka’s youki was also suppressed, but not to the level that Michiru’s was. His smile grew grim as he watched the two follow after his mother. The traces of youki were gone completely.

Maybe it had been one of his stray plants from outside, he thought, but he knew his gut instinct was never wrong.

Halfway throughout dinner, Kurama almost choked on a forkful of stew when he saw Botan floating right above his mother’s head. He took a gracious gulp of water, trying not to give her the stink eye. Botan ignored all of this.

“Wonderful news!” she crowed, spinning happily around in the air.

“Shuuichi, is the stew alright?”

“Yes, it’s wonderful,” Kurama said smoothly to his mother, taking another spoonful. Botan was still yapping away, ignoring that he was trying to ignore her. Kurama caught an odd expression on Haruka’s face, as if she were trying not to laugh; something cold grew inside of him. If he were right—if they had youki—if they were demons—then could they also see Botan?

Haruka let out a snort, one Michiru rolled her eyes at. “Sorry, sorry!” the blonde said apologetically. “It’s just that Setsuna was trying to make a stew the other day and it was completely awful but we had to pretend it wasn’t—”

Kurama wondered again if he was being paranoid.

“Kurama, are you even listening? I’ve found the perfect people!” Botan hissed. Kurama tried to keep his face straight; he failed miserably when Botan flew right behind him and started yanking his hair. “Stop ignoring me!”

“Is everything alright?” Hatanaka asked, seeing the grimace on his face.

“Oh, everything’s fine,” Kurama lied easily. He stood up, bowing his head. “Excuse me, I need a bit of air.”

Kurama sped out of the house as quickly as he could. Botan followed after him, spouting off nonsense at the top of her lungs. The second they reached the small forest, he whirled around.

“—and she’s _so_ gorgeous, way better looking than Yuusuke, and did I mention the legs?”

“Botan.”

“—plus he’s super tall and super dreamy and if I weren’t dead I would totally—”

“ _Botan_.”

“—and Hotaru-chan is the _cutest_ little thing in the world—”

Kurama sighed, propping his cheek onto his fist. He waited for her to finish, counting the seconds. Last time it had taken her five minutes without interruption before she finally got to the point. He hoped this time would be a little less; he really wanted to keep an eye on the two guests.

“Oh, right!” Botan smacked herself on her forehead, giggling. “Sorry, I totally went off track.”

“I’m listening,” Kurama said, tuning back in.

“Keiko just left for her party with her school friends. Are you almost finished here?”

“Almost,” Kurama said.

“Good!” Botan clasped her hands together. “Kuwa-chan and Yukina-chan are already at the ramen stand. And don’t worry about trying to scoop up Shizuru, she said she can’t make it. Hopefully I can make it to my human body in time.”

“Alright.” Kurama nodded. “Botan, by the way—”

“You know,” Botan said as an afterthought, cutting him off. He found that he didn’t even need to ask her as she suddenly brought up Haruka and Michiru anyway. “Those two women—they seem really familiar to me, but I can’t put my finger on it. I’ve been _so_ busy this week with recruiting, but I _know_ that I know them!”

“Please let me know if you do.”

“Right.” Botan flashed him a grin. “See you in an hour, Kurama!”

He waved, watching her fly away into the night sky. Once he was sure that she wasn’t going to turn back with one last thing to say, he made his way back into the house. Shuuichi and Hatanaka were busy clearing the table; Haruka and his mother were nowhere to be found. He made eye contact with Michiru immediately.

“Shuuichi-kun, there you are,” Michiru said with the hint of a smile. He felt his youki swirl inside him, restless. His guard was up high. She gestured out the door. “Will you take a walk with me? Your mother went to show off your indoor garden to Haruka.”

“It’s nothing interesting,” Kurama said, reluctant to follow after her. They were now both standing on the porch, still and quiet. He wondered if he could make his plants choke Haruka from where he stood. Best not to do it in front of mother, his more rational side cautioned.

“What’s interesting is that I was present at the Makai Tournament,” Michiru said after a moment, and Kurama narrowed his eyes. She continued speaking as she was commenting on the color of his hair. “You’re quite formidable. I’ve been meaning to tell you that.”

“What do you want?”

“Want?” Michiru tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“This is my territory,” Kurama said conversationally. Michiru only blinked.

“Is it?” she responded idly. “That’s good to know, I suppose.”

He watched as she paused when the grass in front of her suddenly sat up straight. It was hard to see, but he knew she could tell that every blade was sharpened on its edges, every point like the end of a sword. Her eyes met his again.

“Cute trick,” she said. He had to give her some credit; her composure didn’t slip at all.

“Don’t come near my family again.”

“I’m going to have to apologize in advance for disobeying your orders.” Michiru’s smile this time was very sardonic. “Haruka is fond of Shiori-san.”

“I’m afraid that wasn’t a request,” Kurama said, and then there was Haruka. She threw an arm around his shoulder, beaming from ear to ear, boundless energy in the shape of wind-rustled hair and rough grins.

“I heard my name,” she said, winking at Michiru. “Gossiping about me again, Michiru?”

“Hardly,” Michiru said. “Shuuichi-kun here was just telling me to leave his family alone.”

Kurama felt his insides twist. If he was quick enough, he could pull a seed out of his hair and throw Haruka off of hm without them even realizing—but then again, he had no idea what they were capable of. He kept a straight face when Haruka only started chuckling. “Sorry, kiddo, but your mom’s kind of really cute.”

Another wink. Michiru rolled her eyes. “Haruka.”

“Don’t mind her,” Haruka said in a conspiratorial whisper to Kurama. “She likes to piss on everything that’s hers.”

“Haruka!”

“Like our baby, for example,” Haruka continued, ignoring the glare sent her way. She jostled Kurama around under her arm. Kurama was sorely tempted to wrap a rose whip around her neck. “Hotaru-chan’s a big girl, though, so I’m not worried.”

“Hotaru-chan?” Kurama repeated, and Botan’s words flashed through his mind. Everything suddenly clicked together as he pictured the odd and awkward teenage daughter of theirs. Koenma had mentioned that he was trying to find replacements. And Setsuna—he was an idiot, he thought, this Setsuna they kept talking about had to be _the_ Setsuna, of course. How did he never make the connection before? True, he had never seen the three women together, but still... “She’s—”

“Reikai’s newest, yeah. Had to bribe her to do it. She’s totally not a team player.” Haruka sighed forlornly as Michiru’s smile stretched tautly.

“I still don’t think letting her skip out on club activities was a good idea.”

“Oh come on, Michiru, it’s either club activities or saving the world. You really think that’s a choice?”

Kurama actually frowned, ignoring their banter. “And what about you?”

“Me?” Haruka looked a bit startled at his accusation. “Oh no, no way. I don’t want anything to do with Reikai. Too many rules. Plus Koenma’s still weaning. How old is he now, like five hundred?”

“Haruka,” Michiru said, this time her gaze pitying as she looked at Kurama. Gone was the potentially dangerous woman who didn’t even flinch in the presence of his youki. Were they idiots, or were they truly that strong? Still, they were (somewhat) affiliated with Reikai... “Let the poor boy go, you’re making him uncomfortable.”

Haruka blinked before realizing that she did indeed still have her arm around Kurama. “Oops. Anyway, since you’re an alum of Hotaru-chan’s new team, I was hoping we could allies.”

“Allies,” Kurama repeated, feeling a headache coming on. He should have just let a flytrap eat her when he had the chance. Things were starting to get annoying.

“You just want to get closer to Shiori,” Michiru accused, and Haruka grinned toothily.

“Hey, what can I say?”

As if on cue, Shiori poked her head outside of the house. “Haruka, not to be a bother, but could you—”

“Tune up Hatanaka’s old ride? Sure thing!”

The blonde bounded back into the house, leaving Michiru and Kurama to stand in the awkward silence that loomed. Then Michiru sighed.

“Just one thing, Shuuichi-kun?”

“What is it?” Kurama responded, momentarily distracted. He had been wondering how in the world Botan had forgotten the parents of her new charge.

“Would you tell Botan that yellow would suit her better? The pink isn’t that bad, but sometimes it’s a little too much.”

Definitely should have let his plants eat them all.


	9. ramen iv

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i imagine if they were all in a room together, everyone would be very, very confused.

Kuwabara was pretty sure he had better things to do than sit around in a stuffy old room, wearing a stuffy old suit, melting in the stuffy old atmosphere. He glanced over his shoulder to where his giant of a father was lounging in a chair, chuckling at a story the pretty doctor was telling him. Why couldn’t Shizuru be the omiai guinea pig instead of him?

He fought against a sigh. In front of him, his prospective future wife fiddled with her teacup. Mizuno Ami was cute as heck, sure, but she was no Yukina. Well, maybe a little bit. She had the whole blue hair thing going on. He briefly wondered if it was natural. Her mother, after all, was a well-respected doctor. Did children of well-respected doctors usually rebel that much?

Kuwabara saw her peek through her bangs at him; once she realized she was caught, she quickly glanced back down. Her cheeks flushed. Kuwabara pulled at his collar. Talking to girls was easy enough for him, but he really didn’t want to lead her on. He paused, looking up in thought. Just how _was_ he going to explain that he couldn’t marry her because his heart was dedicated to an ice demon?

“Sorry,” she eventually said in a small voice. With a helpless shrug, Ami shook her abashedly. “My grandmother’s been bugging my mother to marry me off already.”

“Oh no way,” Kuwabara said politely with a thumbs-up. “My old man gave up on Shizuru so I’m his only hope.”

Ami smiled behind a hand, feeling more comfortable that they were in the same boat. “He’s really enthusiastic about you. He told me you’re at Gai Tech?”

“Aw, he said that much?” Kuwabara rubbed the back of his neck, making a face. From what his father had told him, Ami was a student at Tokyo University. That meant she had brains. “You gonna make fun of me?”

“Oh, no!” Ami gave a small laugh. “Gai Tech is a good school. A few Todai prospects I tutor are from there.”

“Yeah, I met some of them,” Kuwabara muttered. Half of the school was set on getting into Tokyo University, and no one ever shut up about it. Not like they really talked to him.

“Do you know Noda, then, from class 3C? Or Takeda, 3A?”

“Not really,” Kuwabara said. Ami’s confidence in the conversation seemed to deflate. She played with her teacup.

“Ah, well, they’re very bright.”

“Oh,” was all Kuwabara could eloquently muster. The two of them sat in an awkward silence. After a moment, Ami picked up her tea and sipped at it. He wondered what she would say if he mentioned he was a psychic. That was something he could easily talk for hours about. Scrunching up his face, Kuwabara decided against it. The last time he did that, the whole school shunned him.

Their parents turned their attention towards them at the silence. Dr. Mizuno put in a last-ditch effort. “Ami-chan, don’t you have tomorrow evening off? Why not spend some time with Kazuma?”

Kuwabara could tell that Ami wanted to desperately say no. He racked his brain for a proper excuse. “Oh, but I did have plans with friends at Urameshi’s...”

“Perfect,” Kuwabara Senior said, grinning at his son. “Take her with you, I’m sure she’ll have a blast.”

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Ami quickly interjected, but Kuwabara Senior winked at her.

“You’ll fit right in, Ami-chan,” he said. Ami reddened, and Kuwabara knew there was no other way out. Dang old man had to turn up his charm.

The next evening, as Kuwabara stomped down the stairs, he had to be thankful that Yukina had moved on to another home stay. What would she think if knew that he was taking another girl out? Granted, it was very platonic, and the only people who had the wrong idea were his father and her mother, but Kuwabara had to maintain his honor. No prideful man would ever cheat on Yukina.

“Have fun on your date,” Shizuru said, waving him out the door.

“It’s not a date!” Kuwabara screeched over his shoulder. “My heart is only for Yukina-chan!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Shizuru said, slamming the door in his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets, ambling down the street. Shizuru could be a real pain in the ass sometimes.

Kuwabara spotted Ami around the corner from Yuusuke’s ramen shop. He raised a hand, greeting her. “Hey, sorry about my dad. You weren’t waiting long, were you?”

“Just got here,” Ami replied with a smile. “Your friend’s shop?”

“Right there.” Kuwabara pointed down the street, where Yuusuke was busy yelling at a customer. Keiko and Makoto were sitting at the booth. After meeting Makoto on the night of Keiko’s birthday, Yuusuke and Kuwabara had taken an instant liking to her. She was one heck of an arm wrestler. He took Ami by the arm and led her down the street. “Yukimura, Kino!”

“Oh, Kuwabara.” Keiko waved at him. Beside her, Makoto suddenly stood up, gaping.

“Ami?!”

Kuwabara blinked at Makoto. Then he blinked at Ami, who looked just as confused as everyone else. “Mako-chan?”

Makoto pointed at her, mouth opening and closing. Then, when she found the ability to speak, all she could do was sputter, “D—d—date!”

“That’s not it!” Ami squeaked, blushing so fast that even Keiko looked amazed. Yuusuke poked his head out of the booth, trying to get a peek at Ami. He gave a low whistle.

“Woah, good for you, Kuwabara. How the heck did you manage that?”

“Wait until Yukina-chan hears about this!”

Kuwabara gaped up at Botan, who appeared over the top of the ramen stand. She was floating inconspicuously on her oar. “You won’t say a word to Yukina!” he scowled—and then he realized that Ami and Makoto were there. Before he could come up with an excuse as to why it looked like he was talking to air, however, Makoto pointed at Botan in awe.

“You’re _flying_?”

“Oh dear,” Botan said. Keiko scratched her head, wondering what everyone was looking at.

“Are you Rei’s friend?” Ami chose to ask, oblivious to Kuwabara’s sputtering. How in the heck could they could see her? “Botan, was it?”

Botan’s apprehension turned into delight as she clasped her hands together and swooped down. “So she’s talked about me! Marvelous!”

“Oh great,” Yuusuke said, turning to flip some pork cutlets. As long as Botan didn’t try to threaten him in rejoining the business... “Now you’ve got her started. She won’t shut up for hours.”

“Yeah, Rei won’t shut up either,” Makoto said as she reached up to poke Botan’s oar. Her finger met solid wood. “That is so cool. I thought you were just a normal human.”

“She’s so pretty, isn’t she?” Botan gushed, leaning forward so far that Makoto instinctively held out her arms to catch her in case she fell. “What about Mamoru-san, does he talk about me too?”

“He’s mentioned something,” Ami said vaguely, far more interested in the floating oar than the conversation at hand. Botan squealed, clasping her hands together. Yuusuke hollered at her to shut up, and both Makoto and Ami watched with wide eyes as Botan swung her oar at him.

“I need to sit down,” Kuwabara said, taking Makoto’s vacant seat. So this was what his father meant when he said Ami would fit right in. But how did that old man know?! Beside him, Keiko gave him a grumpy stare.

“At least you can see her,” she huffed before stuffing a dumpling in her mouth. “Darn reikai.”


	10. genkai iii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i also call this "plot mover chapter."

“You guys really didn’t have to come,” Rei said for the tenth time as she paused mid-step. She crossed her arms and turned around, looking down the endless stone steps. Usagi was heaving for breath some hundred steps down while Minako effortlessly jogged around her. 

“Come on, Usagi! Just a little bit more!”

“A little _bit_?” Usagi flailed about. “There are like a thousand left, Mina!”

“Aw, pish posh, it’s only like two hundred or so—”

Usagi grabbed onto her fellow blonde, teary-eyed. “Minako,” she said hoarsely. She gestured up to where Rei stood checking her watch. The surrounding trees of the forest blanketed her in a cool shadow. “I was not made for this.”

“Oh come _on_ ,” Minako started to say, but she cut herself off once she saw Rei starting to climb up again. “Hey, wait up! Usagi, we can’t lose her!”

Usagi wanted to melt into the ground as Minako bounded after Rei. Instead, she mentally cursed her friend for the athletic ability, huffing as she started climbing again. Maybe she should have joined the volleyball team back in high school, too. She paused to adjust her backpack—and paused again when she thought she saw a shadow move in the forest around her.

“Hmm,” Usagi said before she shrugged and continued on her way. “Probably just a squirrel.”

Rei and Minako both reached the top at the same time. At the top of the steps was a large temple, and standing in front of the temple were Genkai and Grandpa Hino.

“I am _not_ doing it,” Rei said immediately at the sight of them, throwing her arms up. “I’m not interested! How many times do I have to—”

Rei flew to the side, just as Genkai lazily fired off a spirit gun at her. The spirit gun exploded into the ground, showering the air with dirt. Genkai didn’t even wait to aim another at Rei. This one she barely dodged; it singed her hair.

“Come on, Rei, you can do better than that!” Grandpa Hino cheered. Rei would have snapped at him if it weren’t for another blast of energy heading her way.

“Woah,” Minako said in awe as Usagi finally made it to the top. She wasn’t entirely sure what Genkai was doing; Rei, however, was leaping around like an idiot trying to dodge. That itself was a rare sight. “That granny is super cool.”

“I think I’m dead,” Usagi groaned, collapsing right on the ground. “I’m totally dead, someone help.”

“Get up, Usagi, you gotta see this.” Minako grabbed onto Usagi and dragged her up. “I can’t see it but I’m betting this is super secret Reikai stuff.”

“Blech,” Usagi said before she tuned into the scene. She gaped as Genkai struck out at Rei with a fist. Rei avoided the punch, but she didn’t counter attack. She continued to dodge Genkai’s movements, wondering what the old lady’s intention was. Genkai slipped to the ground, swiping at her feet. Rei leapt over her and backed away, hands up in a defensive stance.

Genkai jumped back up, creating distance between the two. Rei, looking as bewildered as Usagi felt, scowled at her grandfather. “What in the world is going on?!”

“A waste of my time,” Genkai said. She held a hand up, gathering energy in her fist. Rei, however, felt a chill fill her; the atmosphere had shifted considerably. She adjusted her stance, trying to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from. And, just a second too late, she realized that it was Genkai’s killing intent.

“What are you—”

Genkai released the spirit gun towards Grandpa Hino. Rei’s heart almost stopped as she held both of her hands out.

“Akuryou taisan!”

Minako tackled Usagi to the ground, shielding her from the blast. The two of them clenched their eyes shut, feeling the intensity of Rei’s attack roar over their heads. It completely swallowed Genkai’s spirit gun whole. This was unlike any of her attacks as Sailor Mars; there was something raw about this fire, something wild. Usagi crawled to her knees, searching through the flames for her friend.

After a moment, the inferno settled into smoke. Genkai watched Rei with a more critical eye; Rei, in turn, had clenched her fists. She didn’t seem aware that reiki was slowly building up in her hands. Grandpa Hino simply brushed off his robes. “Rei,” he chided, “you got my pants dirty.”

“Get out of here, ojiisan. It’s dangerous.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Grandpa Hino shoved his hands in his pockets, strolling forward. Minako and Usagi both stared as his image started to shift. He grew taller, younger. Minako instinctively shifted in front of Usagi; this ‘super cool Reikai stuff’ didn’t seem so entertaining anymore. “That wasn’t even Genkai’s strongest.”

Rei tried to control herself. At first, she had thought he was an imposter, someone who had taken the form of her grandfather to trick her. But after a quick second, she realized the truth. She could feel the youki contained within him, but underneath it all, she could still sense her grandfather’s spirit. Her stomach twisted.

“Can’t you reconsider Reikai’s offer?”

“You’re—” Rei broke off, taking a second to calm down. The more she breathed, however, the angrier she became. “This _whole time_ , you—”

“I am a demon,” Akihito said. He jabbed a thumb over in Genkai’s direction. “She saved my life, so I owe her a favor, but I can’t leave the shrine alone so you’re going to have to do it for me.”

“Forget it.”

“Rei—”

“You lied to me this whole time!” Rei took a step forward, glaring up at her grandfather. He didn’t back down.

“I didn’t _lie_ , I just didn’t tell the truth.” He lowered his eyebrows. “Demon or not, I’m still your grandfather.”

The words shamed Rei more than she thought they would. She glanced away, her fists clenching. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know you didn’t.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. The reiki fizzled from her hands as she lowered her eyes. “I have a lot to explain to you. And you have a lot to explain to me. Perhaps if Genkai-chan can make some tea, we could all—”

“Feh,” Genkai said, sticking her hands in her robes. “That’s what the maid’s for.”

“Right, Shishi-chan. Anyway,” Grandpa Hino said, clapping his hands together, “let’s all go inside and chat, shall we? I tell you about my dealings with Reikai, you tell me about the Sailor Senshi, et cetera, et cetera.”

Silence. Rei’s eyes shot up at her grandfather. Genkai picked at a fingernail. Usagi let out a high-pitched noise.

“Ohmygod he knows,” she said. “Minako, Rei’s grandpa knows!”

Minako hushed her, shifting into a protective stance. She frowned; she had always had an inkling that maybe Rei’s grandfather had known something, but that had been because he was a spiritual man. The idea that they had been around a _demon_ —coupled with the fact that she had overlooked it, endangering Usagi...

“Of course I know,” Grandpa Hino said amicably, waving the subject away. “You guys were prancing around right under my roof, I would be an idiot to not know.”

“But—but you _know_ ,” Usagi continued to say, looking bewildered. “Rei, did you know that he knows?”

One look at the consternation on Rei’s face clearly said that she did not know that he knew. Minako’s frown slowly turned into a pout as she dropped her stance.

“How do you _know_?!”

“I’m a priest, Usagi-chan, if I didn’t know I would be a fraud. Even Genkai knows, and she’s only seen Sailor Moon on TV.”

“But,” Usagi still emphasized. She grabbed onto Minako’s shoulders, shaking. “But you’re not supposed to know!”

“Aw give it up, Usagi, he knows,” Minako bemoaned, accepting defeat.

“But—”

Genkai sighed. Couldn’t they have done something without all the friends involved? She turned to Rei.

“I’ll be frank, girl, you have a long way to go.” Genkai fixed Rei with a decisive stare. Rei blinked slowly, turning to the older woman. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the idea that her grandfather was a demon _and_ knew about the Sailor Senshi. “Don’t even think about wasting my time. The way you are, I might as well just be a detective. After all—”

She paused, glancing at the entrance. Someone with a remarkably distinct energy pattern was approaching. Rei thought the energy felt vaguely familiar, Genkai knew who it was, Grandpa Hino had a feeling he knew who it was, and Usagi had absolutely no clue. Minako, unable to feel the reiki but quite able to see everyone’s reactions, made sure that Usagi was safely behind her. The silence was broken by footsteps approaching the final steps.

“Hey, obaachan, what’s the deal calling me all the way out here for?” 

Yuusuke climbed up the last step of the entrance with a cigarette in his mouth. He paused, taking a good look at the occupants of the temple grounds. Then he turned right around and walked back down the steps, muttering under his breath.

“Stupid Botan, stupid Koenma, stupid obaachan—”

“You have that idiot to live up to,” Genkai finished heavily, making her way back into the temple. Shishiwakamaru had better have that tea ready.

x

In the canopy above them, Hiei snorted. That little display of power was weak. He scanned for Kurama’s location before disappearing from Genkai’s temple. Kurama was sitting on his bed, frowning at a vine that was wiggling in a planter.

“Oh, Hiei,” he greeted. Hiei slipped in through the window and leaned against the desk.

“Reikai’s stupid if they’re going to use her as their main line of defense.”

“Is that so?” Kurama turned back to the vine. Hiei watched as the vine slowly lengthened. It slinked through the open window. “I assumed you thought they were stupid regardless.”

“Hmph.”

“I haven’t had a chance to test Hotaru’s capabilities yet.”

“Why are you even bothering?” Hiei asked.

“Maybe I’m a little overprotective of Yuusuke’s legacy,” Kurama admitted. He held out his hand and the vine retracted back into its planter. At the end, it gripped a small violet pen. Hiei grabbed the pen, turning it over in his hands. It was gaudy. This was the source of their power? Ridiculous.

“You, overprotective?”

Kurama shrugged with a small smile. “Or maybe I’m just bored.”


End file.
